ACTOS is a once-daily oral medication that, with diet and exercise, has been shown to be effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. ACTOS helps control blood sugar levels in your body by reducing insulin resistanceâ€”a condition in which your bodyâ€™s cells donâ€™t respond to a hormone (called insulin) that allows them to turn blood sugar into energy.

While not intended to treat lipid disorders, ACTOS may have a positive effect on HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats) without changes in LDL (bad) cholesterol or total cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes.